Jazz FM Awards - Winners Announced.

Thursday, October 29, 2020

The winners of the 2020 Jazz FM Awards were announced at an event that took place via livestream from Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho. Details attached.

We have received the following press release;

International Stars Turn Out For Jazz FM Awards 2020 With OANDA

Norah Jones, Herbie Hancock, Robert Glasper, Hugh Laurie, Jamie Cullum, Charles Lloyd, Philip Bailey, Yolanda Brown, Kandace Springs and more descend on Jazz FM Awards 2020

The great and the good of the international jazz scene came together this evening for the Jazz FM Awards with OANDA, which took place via livestream from Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho. Presented by Marcus Brigstocke, the ceremony celebrated the breadth and diversity of the thriving global scene and saw awards presented to an array of artists from across the genre’s rich cultural landscape.

The evening’s two high profile Special Awards went to 14-time Grammy winning jazz superstar Herbie Hancock - who celebrated turning 80 this year by picking up The PPL Lifetime Achievement Award - and multi-platinum-selling US singer Norah Jones, who was presented with The Impact Award.

Herbie Hancock:
“The UK has supported and kept jazz alive for so many years. Not just for its citizens, but globally. And people in distant lands, many fans from Asia, Africa and around the world have been able to enjoy great jazz in places like Ronnie Scott’s and other venues for many, many years. It has all been a wonderful ride and continues with the younger generation of jazz musicians collaborating with me and I’m inspired by that. They think I’m inspiring them; they don’t realise they are inspiring me! But jazz is in a very healthy state. The pandemic is not going to stop that. It’s continuing beyond that. So I want to thank the Jazz FM Awards and OANDA for this wonderful honour. Thank you all so very, very much.”

It was revealed that The Gold Award was presented to UK band leader and vibraphonist Orphy Robinson MBE for his services to UK jazz and jazz education. As well as being one of the major players on the scene, the multi-instrumentalist and composer sits as the Chair of The Ivors Academy Jazz Committee, and on the Member Board of Trustees for National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

A host of stars turned out to present awards - including the likes of Jamie Cullum, Hugh Laurie, Yolanda Brown, Robert Glasper, Clarke Peters, Alexander O’Neal and Tom Misch – and the ceremony once again shone a light on the thriving UK jazz scene with live performances from three of its most promising artists; Judi Jackson, Xhosa Cole and Yazz Ahmed. All three performers took home awards with Judi Jackson being crowned Vocalist Of The Year, Xhosa Cole Breakthrough Act Of The Year, and Yazz Ahmed was presented with both the coveted Album Of The Year and UK Jazz Act Of The Year.

Elsewhere, Earth Wind and Fire’s Philip Bailey was presented with Soul Act Of The Year, legendary US saxophonist Charles Lloyd picked up International Act Of The Year, Binker Golding was Instrumentalist Of The Year, The Innovation Award went to Jazz re:freshed and Venue Of The Year was won by The Vortex.

Nick Pitts, Content Director Jazz FM:
“That we were able to put an event like this together in such tumultuous times is a reflection of the excellent work and will of our team at Jazz FM, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Serious, Ben Lloyd Evans Productions, Baxter PR and our various partners and sponsors. It also displays the strength and resilience of the jazz community as a whole and hopefully provides a much-needed boost to everyone who works within it. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved here and congratulations to all of our incredibly worthy winners.”

JAZZ FM AWARDS 2020 WITH OANDA – FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND NOMINEES

PPL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Herbie Hancock
(Presented by Robert Glasper)

IMPACT AWARD
Norah Jones
(Presented by Kandace Springs)

GOLD AWARD
Orphy Robinson
(Presented by Chris Philips)

BREAKTHROUGH ACT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Cambridge Audio
Xhosa Cole – Winner (Presented by Yolanda Brown)
Yelfris Valdés
Rosie Turton

SOUL ACT OF THE YEAR
Philip Bailey – Winner (Presented by Clarke Peters)
Anderson .Paak
Celeste

THE DIGITAL AWARD
Sponsored by OANDA
Chiminyo – Winner (Presented by Joel Culpepper)
Jacob Collier
Jazz re:freshed

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Hampstead Jazz Club
Binker Golding – Winner (Presented by Marcus Miller)
Mark Kavuma
Shirley Tetteh

BLUES ACT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Blue Orchid Hotels
Jon Cleary – Winner (Presented by Hugh Laurie)
Keb’ Mo’
Gary Clark Jr.

THE INNOVATION AWARD
Sponsored by Mishcon de Reya
Jazz re:freshed – Winner (Presented by Tony Minvielle)
Moses Boyd
Sarathy Korwar

VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Judi Jackson – Winner (Presented by Dee Dee Bridgewater)
Alice Zawadzki
Georgia Cécile

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Saint Lucia Wellness Festival
Charles Lloyd – Winner (Presented by Christian McBride)
Branford Marsalis
Kris Davis

UK JAZZ ACT OF THE YEAR (PUBLIC VOTE)
Sponsored by PRS For Music
Yazz Ahmed – Winner (Presented by Jamie Cullum)
Joe Armon-Jones
SEED Ensemble

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (PUBLIC VOTE)
Sponsored by Arqiva
Yazz Ahmed – Polyhymnia – Winner (Presented by Tom Misch)
Ashley Henry – Beautiful Vinyl Hunter
SEED Ensemble – Drift Glass
Jazzmeia Horn – Love and Liberation
Binker Golding – Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers
Branford Marsalis Quartet – The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul

VENUE OF THE YEAR (PUBLIC VOTE)
Vortex Jazz Club – Winner (Presented by Alexander O’Neal)
Band on the Wall
Church of Sound
Love Supreme Festival
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
Verdict Jazz

About Jazz FM:
Jazz FM is the largest commercial jazz station in the world, celebrating the complete spectrum of jazz in all its colourful forms since 1990, and celebrating its 30th birthday year in 2020. Jazz FM broadcasters, producers and entire team are true devotees, with a deep love and understanding of their particular jazz shade; their passion is vivid, their enthusiasm infectious, sharing the finest jazz with everyone. As the UK’s only dedicated jazz broadcaster, Jazz FM is on a mission to entertain, promote and celebrate all that’s great about jazz. Involvement with national festivals and awards is part of this - setting the bar high for live performance, recognising outstanding talent and strengthening the jazz community. No matter how people tune-in they always listen in colour.

About Bauer Media UK:
Bauer Media UK reaches over 25 million UK consumers through a portfolio of world-class, multi-platform media and entertainment brands including heat, KISS, Grazia, Empire, Magic, Absolute Radio and the Hits Radio Network. These brands offer commercial partners access to highly engaged audiences, with creative solutions underpinned by insight and instinct. Bauer Media UK is part of the Bauer Media Group, one of the world’s largest privately-owned media businesses with media assets all over the globe